The Red Cloud Mine is a silver, gold, copper, and lead mine located in Blaine county, Idaho at an elevation of 7,001 feet.
About the MRDS Data:
All mine locations were obtained from the USGS Mineral Resources Data System. The locations and other information in this database have not been verified for accuracy. It should be assumed that all mines are on private property.
Mine Info
Elevation: 7,001 Feet (2,134 Meters)
Commodity: Silver, Gold, Copper, Lead
Lat, Long: 43.5172, -114.44780
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Mine Description
The Red Cloud mine is one and one-half miles northwest of the Red Elephant mine, but is most accessible by way of the Deer Creek and Wolftone Gulch road further to the north. The mine has been more or less idle since the early nineteen hundreds and most workings are now inaccessible. In 1949 only the No.5 and No. 13 levels and some of the ridge-vein levels were open. Owing to the inaccessibility of the mine workings most of the following description is taken from Turner (16), Lindgren (17), and Cramer (18).
The Red Cloud mine was active between 1880 and 1902 and during that time produced lead, silver, and gold ore with a gross value of $815,802 (16). Some tailings from the old mill were jigged and shipped during the early twenties, and in 1941-42 some jig tailings from the upper levels were shipped to the smelter. (Fig. 26.) During the early forties some RFC funds were expended in opening the caved mine portals, otherwise mining activity has been negligible since the period of early operation.
The property has been developed on 11 levels. The lowest, or 13th level, at an altitude of 7038 feet, is 1,065 feet below the out-crop. Most of the ore came from above the No. 9 level, or 706 feet below the surface as measured from the No. 1 level.
The country rock is dark limy argillite of the Wood River formation. There are three prominent veins on the property-the Ridge vein, the Red Cloud vein, and the Hanging Wall vein. (Fig. 26.) Of these, the Red Cloud and the Hanging Wall veins have produced practically all of the ore. The Red Cloud vein strikes N. 23° W. and dips at a high angle to the west. The Hanging Wall vein branches off the Red Cloud vein to the northwest, striking N. 50° W. and dipping southwest at about 60 degrees. The Ridge vein, which is explored by several short tunnels, strikes N. 45 ° W. and dips 70° - 90° SW. It appears to be cut off at depth by the Ridge fault. (Fig. 27, cross section CB.)
In the Red Cloud workings the Red Cloud vein and the Hanging Wall vein have been affected by faulting at several points, but only two fault movements are described by Turner as being of any consequence. The fault with the greatest displacement occurs between levels 5 and 6 where an ore body has been displaced N. 20° W. for 240 feet along a fault that dips 8 ° NW. A lower fault cuts the Hanging Wall vein at a point 15 feet above the No.9 level. A crosscut driven southwest from the No.9 level encountered the vein at a point that showed it had been displaced 90 feet to the southwest along a fault dipping about 15° NW. Another fault, encountered a few feet below the No. 9 level, displaced the Hanging Wall vein, and ore bodies were not found below it in the No. 10 and 13 levels.
Three strong faults with some evidence of mineralization were found in the No. 13 level these are the Yellow Dog, Kelly, and Vendicator. A few tons of ore were taken from the Kelly fault, but no significant ore bodies were found in any of these faults.
Turner thinks the Yellow Dog may be a major fault, upon which the upper productive area has been moved to the southwest. He also considers that the Kelly vein might be a continuation of the Hanging Wall vein. Furthermore, he reasons that the large mineralized outcrop east of the upper Red Cloud workings might be the upward projection of one of the faults found on the No. 13 level.
Source: Source: Detailed Geology of Certain Areas in the Mineral Hill and Warm Springs Districts, Blain County Idaho. Idaho Bureau of Mines and Geology, 1950
Red Cloud Mine MRDS details
Site Name
Primary: Red Cloud Mine
Commodity
Primary: Silver
Primary: Gold
Primary: Copper
Primary: Lead
Tertiary: Zinc
Location
State: Idaho
County: Blaine
District: Mineral Hill District
Land Status
Land ownership: Private
Note: the land ownership field only identifies whether the area the mine is in is generally on public lands like Forest Service or BLM land, or if it is in an area that is generally private property. It does not definitively identify property status, nor does it indicate claim status or whether an area is open to prospecting. Always respect private property.
Holdings
Not available
Workings
Type: Underground
Ownership
Owner Name: Daylight Mining And Milling
Production
Not available
Deposit
Record Type: Site
Operation Category: Past Producer
Operation Type: Unknown
Discovery Method: Unknown
Years of Production:
Organization:
Significant: N
Deposit Size: S
Physiography
General Physiographic Area: Rocky Mountain System
Physiographic Province: Northern Rocky Mountains
Physiographic Detail: Sawtooth Mountains
Mineral Deposit Model
Not available
Orebody
Form: SEAMS
Structure
Type: L
Description: Extensive Faulting
Alterations
Not available
Rocks
Name: Argillite
Role: Host
Age Type: Host Rock Unit
Age Young: Pennsylvanian
Name: Argillite
Role: Host
Age Type: Host Rock
Age Young: Pennsylvanian
Analytical Data
Not available
Materials
Ore: Sphalerite
Ore: Galena
Ore: Tetrahedrite
Ore: Chalcopyrite
Gangue: Siderite
Gangue: Quartz
Gangue: Pyrite
Comments
Comment (Location): 1.5 MI NW OF RED ELEPHANT MINE.
Comment (Production): BETWEEN 1880 AND 1902 PRODUCED ORE WITH A GROSS VALUE OF $815,802. PRACTICALLY ALL ORE RECOVERED UP TO 1907 WAS FROM 700 FT. LEVEL. 1906 CONCENTRATES TOTALED 10 CARLOADS.
Comment (Deposit): 3 VEINS; ABOVE IS FOR VEIN 1; 2ND VEIN STRIKES N 50 DEG W AND DIPS 60 DEG SW; 3RD VEIN STRIKES N 45 DEG W AND DIPS 70-90 DEG SW
Comment (Workings): 11 LEVELS. ALL INACCESSIBLE BUT 2.
References
Reference (Deposit): ANDERSON, A. L., AND OTHERS, 1950, DETAILED GEOLOGY OF CERTAIN AREAS IN THE MINERAL HILL AND WARM SPRINGS MINING DISTRICTS: IDAHO BUREAU OF MINES AND GEOLOGY PAMPHLET 90, 73 P.
Reference (Deposit): UMPLEBY, J. B., AND OTHERS, 1930, GEOLOGY AND ORE DEPOSITS OF THE WOOD RIVER REGION, IDAHO, WITH A DESCRIPTION OF THE MINNIE MOORE AND NEAR-BY MINES: USGS BULL. 814, P. 1 - 245.
Reference (Production): UMPLEBY, J. B., AND OTHERS, 1930, USGS BULL. 814; ITEM 17, BELL, R. N., 1907, EIGHTH ANNUAL MINING REPORT.
Reference (Deposit): IDAHO DEPT. OF LABOR AND INDUSTRIAL SERVICES, JULY 1974 - JUNE 1975, FIRST ANNUAL REPT. ADDENDUM, 95 P.
Reference (Deposit): 1907 COMPILE STATE MINE INSPECTOR'S REPORT FOR 1906
Reference (Deposit): 1930 GEOLMAP J. B. UMPLEBY AND OTHERS, BULL. 814
Reference (Deposit): 1949 GEOLMAP IDAHO BUREAU OF MINES AND GEOLOGY PAMPHLET 90
Reference (Deposit): 1975 COMPILE IDAHO DEPT. LABOR ANNUAL REPORT
Idaho Gold
"Where to Find Gold in Idaho" looks at the density of modern placer mining claims along with historical gold mining locations and mining district descriptions to determine areas of high gold discovery potential in Idaho. Read more: Where to Find Gold in Idaho.
